On March 29, 1859, Edward Lindner received US Patent #23,378 for an “Improvement in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms.”His patent specification application reads in part “I, Edward Lindner…have invented a new and useful Improvement in Breech-Loading Guns or Cannons….My improvement consist in the employment of a hollow screw arranged to fit the rear of the gun-barrel, and operating in connection with a shifting breech-piece, whereby the load or cartridge may be inserted from the rear through the hollow screw, without of necessity removing the latter from the barrel, and whereby said hollow screw is made to firmly lock the shifting breech-piece, and to make close or tight the joint at the breech, and increased facility afforded for loading or cleaning the gun with dispatch. Said improvement is applicable both to heavy ordnance and to guns or cannon of smaller caliber.”  What Lindner was describing, in a somewhat complicated and vague manner was a rudimentary bolt action system based upon the concept of interrupted threads that would allow the bolt to be withdrawn from the breech of the gun after the operating handle was rotated about 120-degrees, allowing it to disengage the interrupted threads inside the breech, which mated with the threads on the bolt. Lindner had previously received at least two other firearms related patents, one in 1854 for a “magazine loading revolving rifle” and #14,819 in 1856 for a tilting breech mechanism breechloader, which opened automatically upon firing. Despite his somewhat innovative ideas, his concepts seem to have centered around how to apply breechloading concepts to percussion ignition muzzleloading firearms, and he did not pursue self-contained metallic cartridge designs. His 1859 patent application notes that his breech design is equally applicable to both muzzleloading arms being altered to breechloading and to newly made arms.

Lindner spent much of 1859 through 1861 attempting to convince the US Ordnance Department of the utility of his design concepts and to obtain some kind of contract for his arms. His initial test submission was a breechloading altered Swiss Model 1838 Engineer’s Musket. The test did not go well, and the report noted in part that “In our opinion it (Lindner’s Design) does not possess either the simplicity or durability required for an arm for military purposes.”Interestingly entrepreneurs like Arhtur Eastman and E.G. Allen were both enamored enough of Lindner’s design that they managed to secure some small contracts to use the Lindner alteration concepts on some Hall Rifles for the State of New Hampshire, as well as on some Mississippi Rifles owned by the State of Massachusetts. Eventually Lindner did manage to sell the idea to the US Ordnance Department, and they contracted for a small number of the relatively scarce Lindner Carbines that saw Civil War use. As Lindner had no manufacturing capabilities, the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company of Manchester, NH was engaged to do the actual manufacturing of the guns. The initial deliveries were modified and altered Austrian Jaeger Rifles that were altered to be breechloading carbines. The US Government took delivery of  400 of these guns were issued to the 1^st Michigan Cavalry Regiment. Amoskeag had actually altered some 1,600 of the Austrian Model 1842 Rifles and another 1,050 Austrian Model 1854 Extra Corps Carbines on Lindner’s behalf, but the initially deliveries performed so poorly that no more of the altered Austrian guns would be accepted by the US Government and the balance were apparently sold off to various warring factions in South America.

Lindner somehow managed to receive another order for breechloading carbines, this time newly made guns rather than altered, obsolete Austrian guns. 500 of these guns were delivered to the US Ordnance Department and were issued to the 8^th West Virginia Cavalry. These performed much better and the Ordnance Department ordered another 6,000 of the Amoskeag manufactured guns, but they were not completed and delivered until May of 1865, after the conclusion of the Civil War. Most were later resold to Europe and were used during the Franco-Prussian War.

In Europe, however, Lindner found a modicum of success. The Austrians were obviously aware of Lindner’s work because it was being applied to some of their guns. In 1862, the Austrian military had some 6,000 to 7,500 percussion muzzleloaders altered to the Lindner breechloading system. These guns apparently never saw any significant use, but the decision to dabble with the design probably influenced their Bavarian neighbors.

In 1858 the Bavarian military had adopted the Model 1858 Podewils Rifle Musket. This was a well made 13.9mm (.547 caliber) muzzleloading percussion ignition rifle musket, similar to the Austrian Lorenz. The guns had a 35.5” barrel secured by three flat, spring retained barrel bands. The rear sight was a folding aperture sight with a 300-meter notch for the primary sight and apertures on the folding leaf for 400 and 600 meters with the top notch regulated to 800 meters. The front sight was a semi-Barleycorn blade that doubled as a lug for a socket bayonet. Sling swivels were mounted on the front of the triggerguard and on the middle barrel band. The guns were conventional percussion ignition rifle muskets, finished bright with iron furniture and beech stocks. They were produced at the Bavarian state arsenal at Amberg, as well as by contractors both in the country and in Liège, like Auguste Francotte. The ramrods were of steel with brass band around the tip to protect the rifling. Numerous minor similarities can be seen between the Bavarian Model 1858 Podewils and the Austrian Model 1854 Lorenz, suggesting the Austrian guns influenced the design of the Podewils. 

In 1866, the rather brief Austro-Prussian War erupted, and the Prussians easily defeated the Austrians primarily due to the Prussians being armed with the Model 1841 Dreyse Needle Rifle. This bolt action, “needle fire” breechloading rifle was such a dramatic advantage over the muzzleloading percussion arms used by the Austrians that the Prussians simply dominated the battlefields. The lesson was not lost on the countries of Europe and very quickly every country was looking to develop a rifle to compete with the Dreyse design. The European powers also started to scramble to find an efficient and cost-effective way to alter their large stocks of muzzleloading firearms to breechloaders. 

In Bavaria the alteration design that was settled upon in 1867 was Edward Lindner’s interrupted thread percussion ignition bolt action breechloader. The alteration was rather simple. Most of the original gun was retained. The old breech was cut off and a newly made breech section that incorporated the interrupted thread bolt was installed. Modifications were minimal, as after the new breech system was attached to the old barrel, the original percussion lock could still be used and only modification of the stock was necessary to make the new breech fit the gun. The new breechloaders were designated as Model 1858/67 Rifles. These guns would remain the front line for a rather limited amount of time, essentially a stop gap solution to the breechloading problem. In 1869 the Bavarians started to replace their Model 1858/67 Podewils Lindner Rifles with the new Werder “Lightning” metallic cartridge breechloading rifles. However, the Podewils Lindner remained the most common front line infantry weapon for the Bavarian Army during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. In the wake of the Franco-Prussian War and the unification of Germany as a single country, the Bavarians started to adopt the new Model 1871 Mauser Rifle, completely abandoning the now thoroughly obsolete Podewils Lindner. Due to the very short service life of these rifles and the time it took to alter existing stocks of Podewils rifles to the Lindner system, it appears that only a few thousand rifles were ever altered to breechloader. Upon the Bavarian abonnement of the Lindner system, most of the guns were sold off as surplus. Many of these guns were subsequently realtered to muzzleloading percussion rifles, with the breechloading section cut off and a new iron percussion breech installed, thus downgrading them to muzzleloaders again. The guns were then sold off to the African trade. As a result, surviving Bavarian Model 1858/67 Podewils Linder Rifles are quite rare. In fact, the reconverted percussion muzzleloaders appear on the market more often than the breechloading guns. As such, it is a fairly rare opportunity for today’s collectors to find a fine condition Model 1858/67 Podewils Lindner Rifle on the market.

The Bavarian Model 1858/67 Podewils Lindner Rifle offered here remains in about FINE condition. The gun is a classic, complete and correct example of these rare percussion breechloaders. The gun is one of the contractor-made arms from Liège. The lock of the gun is marked in three lines:

1861

A Francotte

A LIEGE

The left angled breech is marked four Bavarian {CROWN} proof or inspection marks. The top of the barrel, just forward of the breech is marked with the serial number 59952. The same serail number is visible, if a little weak, in the obverse butt of the stock. The buttplate tang is stamped with Bavarian unit markings. It reads:

1.L.B.

1.L.R.

LM

8

My interpretation of the marking would be 1^st Landwehr Battalion, 1^st Landwehr Regiment, M company, weapon number 8. However, it could indicate reissue from the 1^st Landwehr Regiment (infantry) to the 1^st Landwehr Battery (artillery), but these 19^th century markings are sometimes more difficult to interpret than the World War I era markings. Considering the rather short front line issue period for these guns, reserve infantry marks make sense.

As noted, the gun remains in FINE condition. The metal has been lightly and carefully cleaned to bright and most of the markings remain clear and crisp in the metal, with only the second line of the lock marking being a little weak. There is some lightly freckled and scattered minor surface oxidation and age discoloration here and there on the barrel and the furniture. The hood of the bolt shows more discoloration and oxidation, as well as some scattered pinpricking. The gun retains its original rear and front sights, both sling swivels and an original cleaning and clearing rod that is numbered to a different rifle, with the issue marking 3.6.131 stamped in the brass band at the tip. This suggests 3^rdInfantry Regiment, 6^th Company, Gun Number 131. The rod remains full length and fully usable with the integral jag at the reverse end. The action of the rifle remains quite crisp, and it functions exactly as it should. The bolt rotates, opens, closes and locks exactly as it should and the percussion lock works well, with crisp half and full cock positions. The bore of the gun is in fine condition as well. It is mostly bright and shiny with crisp four groove rifling, some scattered frosting and some scattered minor oxidation, The muzzle area has some old residue that needs to be cleaned out, but the bore’s appearance suggests the gun would shoot very well with the correct black powder loads. These rifles did have a period reputation for very good accuracy. The stock is in near fine condition and other than being lightly sanded, leaving the serial number a little weak, it remains quite crisp. The wood shows some scattered bumps, dings and mars as would be expected, but the condition of the wood is what would be expected for the overall condition of the gun and the metal, bore and wood and match very well.

Overall, this is a really attractive, crisp and rare example of a Bavarian Model 1858/67 Podewils Lindner Rifle. The gun is complete and correct, is nicely marked on the butt and would be a fine addition to any collection of mid-19^thcentury European military arms, particularly a collection that focuses on early military breechloaders and Germanic arms. I think you will be very glad to add this fine and scarce rifle to your collection.

SOLD